Hot and cold beverages are generally sold or served in disposable cups made of paper or plastic. Such cups are generally characterized by a tapering cylindrical shape and a circular lip which defines a maximum fill line. It is common to receive the beverage and cup in or from a fast food establishment, drink or food bar, cafeteria or the like, along with a lid which inhibits spillage and thermal transfer.
Various popular lids provide a "drink-through" feature wherein the purchaser may drink the beverage from the cup without removing the lid. One way to provide a drink-through feature is to form a wedge-shaped tear back tab in the lid which may be torn or otherwise separated from the peripheral edge of the lid back toward the center. Lids exhibiting these tear back tabs are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,977,559 to Lombardi, U.S. Pat. No. 3,994,411 to Elfelt et al and U.S. Pat. No. 4,090,660 to Schram et al.
Another type of drink-through lid includes a pivoted section inboard of the periphery which may be pushed downwardly; toward the interior of the cup. Examples of the former are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,113,135 to Yamazaki and U.S. Pat. No. 4,138,033 to Payne et al. Both the Yamazaki and Payne et al lids are of the plug-fit design wherein the center of the lid is recessed into the interior of the cup when the lid is in place on the lip of the cup. Accordingly, the drink-through hatch or flap is typically below the maximum fill line of the cup and the act of opening the drink-through aperture may cause a portion of the lid surface to be pushed into the contents of the lid. This can cause inadvertent and undesirable spillage.